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Ancient Rome Vocab

Ancient Rome - Mr. B's Vocabulary Stack #190878

one of ten elected officials in the Roman republic/ elected from plebeian class/job was to protect interests and rights of plebeians in meetings of Senate / had veto power

plebeian

lower class of Roman citizen

patrician

upper class of Roman citizen - came from founding families of Rome

consul

2 served at a time for one year / could veto each other / passed laws made by assembly & Senate / patrician class

Laws of the Twelve Tablets (Tables)

Roman laws written on these so that all could know their rights and responsibilities

Roman assembly

part of gov't of Roman republic in which all male citizens could meet and vote / had little actual power

Roman Senate

Body made up of representatives from 300 patrician families / governed military affairs and foreign territories / made gov't budget / advised consuls / in office for life

veto

literally "I forbid" - the power to say no to a law / held by consuls over each other and by tribunes over the Senate

republic

a government in which people elect officials to represent them

dictator

government official with greatest power / chosen only in time of emergency (war that threatened Rome) / had absolute power / served max 6 months or until emergency over

Etruscans

tribe from northern Italy / conquered Romans around 600 BC / traded with Greeks and shared Greek ideas with Romans / last king of Rome,

Romulus and Remus

Twin brothers who founded Rome. According to Roman mythology, they were raised by a she-wolf

Pax Romana

The "Roman Peace" - 200 years of peace that began under the reign of Augustus Caesar

emperor

a king who rules over conquered territory

Julius Caesar

1. Roman general who ruled Rome with Crassus and Pompey as a member of the Triumvirate
2. His Roman legions conquered Gaul
3. Challenged the Roman Senate by "crossing the Rubicon" river and marching on Rome
4. Named himself dictator for life

Julius Caesar

5. Assassinated by Senators in the Forum during the Ides of March, in 44 BC

Augustus Caesar

1. Real name was Octavian. Adopted son (grandnephew) of Julius
2. took control of Rome after long political struggle and chaos after assassination
3. As Emperor, he established Pax Romana / brought prosperity to Empire

Pompeii

Roman city in southern Italy destroyed by eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD

Herculaneum

Roman city on opposite side of Mt. Vesuvius also destroyed by eruption in 79 AD

Marcus Aurelius

Known as the "Last of the Five Good Emperors". Generally tolerant and promoter of humanitarian causes.

Trajan

Emperor best known for his extensive public building program which reshaped the city of Rome and left multiple enduring landmarks such a column celebrating his conquest of Dacia.

Hadrian

Emperor of Rome from AD 117 to 138. Considered one of Rome's greatest emperors; unified the empire; Built the Pantheon, and a 73-mile-long fortified wall across northern Britain.

Nero

Emperor from AD 37 to 68. known for his mistreatment of Christians. Thought to be insane. "Fiddled" while Rome burned.

Tiberius

Emperor who was was one of Rome's greatest generals, but remembered for his cruelty.

Caligula

Roman Emperor from 37 to 41AD. Name means "little soldier's boots". Known for his cruelty, and for constructing 2 of Rome's largest aqueducts. He was assassinated by the Praetorian Guard.

Constantine

Roman Emperor who adopted Christianity. He moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Byzantium and renamed it after himself. .

Hannibal

Carthaginian general who invaded Italy and defeated several Roman armies. Led his war elephants across the Alps.

Carthage (Carthaginians)

Ancient city-state on the northern coast of Africa (present day Tunisia). Fought three Punic Wars against Rome and eventually defeated.

Punic Wars

The Punic Wars were a series of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage from 264 to 146 BC for control of the rich Mediterranean trade.

Gaul

A region inhabited by the ancient Gauls, a Celtic tribe, now present-day France, parts of Belgium, Germany and Italy. Caesar finally conquered the Gauls during the Gallic Wars in the 50's BC.

Vercengetorix

King of the Gauls; defeated by Julius Caesar

Romulus & Remus

According to Roman mythology, these twin brothers, raised by a she-wolf founded Rome.

Attila the Hun

King of the Huns (barbaric tribe of fierce horsemen from Central Asia).

Pompey

He was a military and political leader of the late Roman Republic, a member of the First Triumvirate with Crassus and Caesar, who defeated him in a civil war.

Crassus

He was a Roman general and politician who formed the First Triumvirate with Pompey and Julius Caesar.

Cleopatra

was the a queen of the Ptolemaic dynasty and the last pharaoh of Egypt. She had a child by Caesar, and after his death, allied with Marc Antony but was defeated by Rome. She committed suicide with an asp (poisonous snake)

Roman Legion

It was an infantry unit consisting of heavily armed soldiers, equipped with shields, armor, helmets, spears and swords. In the early republic, the strength of a legion was about 3,000 men; 4,800 legionaries in the days of Julius Caesar.

Praetorian Guard

Roman Legionnaires who were the Emperor's personal bodyguard. They wore purple capes.

Centurion

Was a professional officer of the Roman army. Most centurions commanded 83 men despite the commonly assumed 100, but senior centurions commanded cohorts, or took senior staff roles in their legion.

"Crossing the Rubicon"

The idiom or expression means to pass a point of no return, and refers to Julius Caesar's crossing of the river in 49 BC, which was considered an act of war. The Rubicon is a shallow river in northeastern Italy

assassinate

to murder for political reasons

"Et tu Brute?"

Famous line from Shakespeare's play "Julius Caesar", about how his best friend stabbed him in the back

Scipio Africanus

Roman general who conquered Carthage

Pax Romana

The period of Roman Peace durign the rule of Augustus Caesar

Appian Way

Also known as the Via Appia, one of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads of the ancient republic.

aqueduct

a structure that carries water over a long distance.

Colosseum

a large amphitheatre built in Rome around 70AD, site of contests and combats between people, and animals.

Pantheon

Famous temple to all the gods built by Emperor Hadrian of Ancient Rome, in about 126 AD. The building is circular with a unique concrete dome, with an "oculus" or opening in the ceiling. Still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome

oculus

Latin meaning "eye"; the opening at the top of the dome of the Pantheon, allowing light and air into the center of the structure

gladiators

in Ancient Rome, a person who fought to the death in an arean for the entertainment of the Roman public; usually a slave. There were many types of gladiators.

Circus Maximus

is an ancient Roman chariot racing stadium; It was the largest stadium in ancient Rome; seating 250.000 people, one quarter of Rome's population.

cuniculus

water channels created by the Etruscans by digging holes perpendicular to the flow of underground streams used for irrigation

veto

the Latin word for "forbid"; Roman rulers could veto laws made by the Roman Senate

Roman Forum

A small open rectangle surrounded by the ruins of ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. It was for centuries the center of Roman public life.

Palatine Hills

One of the seven hills of Rome. It is probably the site of some of the first settlements, known for its ruins of ancient imperial palaces.

fasces

a symbol of authority; a bundle of rods or sticks with an axe head sticking out of the middle.

S.P.Q.R.

The abbreviation is Latin (Senatus Populusque Romanus), which means, in English," the Senate and the Roman people".

republic

a type of government in which citizens who have the right to vote select their leaders; elected leaders rule in the name of the people

mercenary

a foreign soldier who serves in teh army only for pay

Tiber River

Major river in Italy; Rome is built on its banks.

Baths of Caracalla

They were the largest thermae (heated baths) in the world when completed in 217 AD, covering 27 acres and could serve 1600 citizens of all classes. They were functional for over 300 years.

Londinium

Roman town built on the Thames River in Britain, which became England's modern capital.

Tyrrhenian Sea

sea to the west of Italian Peninsula

Adriatic Sea

sea to the northeast of Italian Peninsula

Alps

mountain range that forms the northwest border between Italy, France, Switzerland, and Austria

Apennine Mountains

mountain range that runs north-south through Italian Peninsula

dictator

a person in the ancient Roman Republic appointed to rule for six months in times of emergency, with all teh powers of a king. Ex: Julius Caesar

Christianity

the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus and the New Testament of the holy book, the Bible.

martyr

someone willing to sacrifice their life for their beliefs

epistle

a letter; in the Christian Bible, letterswritten by disciples like Paul to early Christian groups

toga

a distinctive wool garment of Ancient Rome, a cloth about twenty feet in length which was wrapped around the body and was generally worn over a tunic. After the 2nd century BC, the toga was a garment worn exclusively by men.

Celts

The Celts were a group of peoples that occupied lands stretching from the British Isles to Gallatia (Spain)

Britain

Island of Britain, home of the Celts

Helvetia

modern day Switzerland

inflation

an economic situation in which there is more money of less value, characterized by high prices

A Germanic tribe of barbarians who invaded Rome and were known as fierce sea raiders. They reputation for destroying property.

Latin

Roman language derived from Greek and Phoenician alphabets

Roman cohort

a unit of soldiers within a Roman Legion; One (1) Legion = 10 cohorts; one (1) cohort = 6 centuries (100 men each)

Spartacus

slave who escaped and started an uprising against Rome. He was eventually captured and crucified.

Cicero

the greatest and best-known Roman orator (public speaker) and the author of many famous speeches; also famous as a philosopher and politician

Triumvirate

Alliance of three (3) consuls (Julius Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey) who ruled the Roman Republic from 59BC until Crassus' death in 53BC.

Roman Empire

Lasted from 27 BC to 576 AD whose boundaries changed over time, but at its greatest extent stretched from Britain in the West to North Africa in the South, and the Persian Gulf in the East.

catacombs

underground cemetery of may tunnels and passageways beneath Rome. Early Christians hid, liverd and worshipped in the catacombs

scutum

Roman curved shield that covered a soldier from neck to feet

gladius

double-edged roman short sword

pilum

roman throwing javelin

Lorica Segmentata

a type of laminated armor (metal strips layered & fashioned into circular bands) that protected the torso and shoulders

miliarium

Roman milestones widely used by Roman road builders;an important part of any Roman road network: The first Roman milestones appeared on the Appian Way. At the centre of Rome, the "Golden Milestone" was erected to mark the presumed center of the Empire.

catapult

Device used to throw or hurl a projectile a great distance without explosives—particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. The word 'catapult' comes from the Latin 'catapulta', meaning "downwards" "to toss, to hurl"

ballista

large crossbow-type weapon that fired large metal bolts or round stone balls

decimate

Term derived from the Roman Army's harsh punishment for mutiny or cowardice, where every 10th man (decimal)was executed.

Mile-long wooden bridge constructed in just 3 days across the Rhine River by Julius Caesar's legions to demonstrate the power of rome to the barbarian Germanic tribes.

Date: March 15th, 44 B.C.

Caesar is assassinated by Brutus and other roman Senators in the forum. Hence the saying "Beware the Ides of March!"

date: 476 A.D.

The Fall of the Roman Empire in the West

Date: 79 A.D.

Destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum

keystone arch

Roman enginnering innovation that provided more strength, saved time and building materials, and allowed construction of much taller buildings and aqueducts

concrete

Romans invented a unique and very durable mortar that mixed limestone with volcanic ash (pozzilana)that could even harden underwater.

Vespasian

Emperor who completedthe construction of the Colosseum (Coliseum). Built by 10,000 Jewish slaves brought to Rome after their revolt against the Romans was crushed and Jerusalem destroyed.

vaulted ceiling

Roman innovation using overlapping arches to create a tunnel or domed opening

schism

Meaning to rip or split apart. The Roman empire was divided into Western (Rome) and Eastern (Constantinople) empires by Emperor Constantine.

Alaric

King of the Visigoths

Seneca, Virgil, Livy

Famous Roman writers and historians

Pliny

Roman general who's writings provide a first-hand description of the destuction of Pompeii

groma

device used by Roman engineers to sight lines and distance for building roads, aqueducts, etc. Consisted of a pole with crossed rods at a 90 degree angle balanced on the top, with lead weights dangling from the end of each rod.